Water-carousel



i i l UNITED STATES Patented January 26, 1904.

ALEXANDER MEFFERT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

WATER-CAROUSEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 750,472, dated January26, 190%.

Application filed October 15, 1903. Serial No- 177,130. (No model.)

My invention relates to a water-carouselfor amusement purposes, theconstruction being such as to provide undulating movement of the boatsof the carousel by agitation of the water in which they travel and alsoby 10- cating inclined elevations within the carousel water-tank, overwhich the boats pass as they make their circuit in the carousel-tank.

My invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fullydescribed, and pointed out in.

the claim.

Figure I is a top or plan view of my carousel. Fig. II is a verticalsection taken centrally through the carousel on line II II, Fig. I. Fig.III is a section taken through a portion of the carousel-tank at thelocation of one of the inclined elevations therein.

1 designates a tank which is designed to contain a quantity of water andwhich is preferably circular in shape. Seated upon the bottom of thetank 1 is a series of inclined benches, which occupy positions adjacentto the wall of the tank.

3 designates a spider having a plurality of arms 4, that are preferablyof flat shape, with the greatest width thereof extending vertically,thereby constituting paddles that have the utility hereinaftermentioned. The spider 3 is located beneath the surface of the water inthe tank 1 and is carried by a shaft 5, that extends vertically into thetank through a stuffing-box 6 and is designed to be rotated in anysuitable manner. I have shown the shaft driven by a power-shaft 7, thatis connected thereto by gearing 8.

9 designates ties connecting the spiderarms 4.

1O designates boats that ride upon the water in the tank 1, each of saidboats being connected atits lower side to the spider-arms 4 by flexibleconnections 11, such as chains, so that the boats may be conveyed in acircular path within the carousel-tank during the rotation of the spiderand may at the same time partake of an undulating movement as a resultof their being flexibly connected to the spiderarms. The adjacent bowand stern of the boats throughout the series are united by flexibleconnections 12, such as chains, sothat they will be maintained inalinement throughout their travel.

In the practical use of my carousel the boats 10 are moved in a circularpath during the rotation of the spider 3, and at the same time the wateron which the boats ride is continually agitated and commotion occasionedtherein by the paddle-shaped arms of the spider traveling beneath thewater, thereby creating waves, on the surface of which the boats ride.As the agitated water circulates over the benches 2 swells are createdat the locations of said benches, as illustrated in Fig. III, and

therefore the undulating movement of the boats is greatly increased asthey pass over said benches. I l

I claim as my invention In a water-carousel, the combination of a tank,inclined benches surmounting the bottom of said tank to be submergedbeneath water in the tank, a rotatable spider having paddle-shaped armsfor operation within the water in the tank to agitate said water andcreate swells over said benches and boats connected to said spider-arms,substantially as set

